Radio Listening Remains Strong Despite iPod Inroads

Radio World Newspaper

Despite various new media available for consumers to receive music and news, only a little more than one in four Americans (27 percent) said they are now listening to the radio less than they did five years ago.

That’s according to a survey commissioned by American Media Services, in which about half of participants (51 percent) said their radio listening hasn’t changed during the past five years, and 21 percent said they are now listening more.

When asked to look ahead five years, only 11 percent said they expect to be listening to the radio less than they do now. Nearly three out of four (74 percent) said they expect to listen about the same, and 13 percent said they expect to listen more.

Asked how they learn about new music, 63 percent said by listening to the radio. In comparison, 43 percent said it can be through talking with friends, 41 percent cited watching television, 24 percent cited reviews in newspapers or magazines and 16 percent cited the internet.

Forty percent of men, compared with 32 percent of women, said they have listened to the radio over the Internet. Forty-two percent of men and 41 percent of women described themselves as likely to listen to radio over the Internet in the future.

American Media Services commissioned the telephone survey of approximately 1,000 adults, conducted by Omnitel in August.